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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Helen Gregory

Hunter teacher embarks on 440 kilometre trek through Simpson Desert

Step by step: Teacher Emma McCabe, pictured with mini adventurers, planned to trek through Kakadu last year for Jenny's Place. When it was postponed due to COVID-19 she gave her fully-paid spot to a former Jenny's Place client.Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

EMMA McCabe has trekked the Larapinta Trail and the Kokoda Track for Camp Quality, but nothing as long as 440 kilometres through the Simpson Desert.

Ms McCabe, who works at Waratah West Public School as its assistant principal curriculum and instruction and a kindergarten teacher, will fly on Saturday from Sydney to Alice Springs and then catch a charter flight to Dalhousie Springs.

She and a group of eight others will then trek 440 kilometres in 22 days along the French Line, finishing with the Big Red Sand Dune and Birdsville.

"It's a bit daunting but you've just got to keep putting one foot after the other," she said.

"I'm feeling a combination of excitement and nerves.

"It's a bit surreal that it's finally here, because there's been a lot of lead up to it raising money and training.

"The school community is pretty excited about it as well, which has lifted me up."

The group is trekking the route for Jenny's Place Women's Domestic Violence and Homelessness Support and have raised $95,000 of their $100,000 goal.

"We're hoping when we're doing the trek we can be getting more donations as well to get to that target," she said.

"Life has been really hard for a lot of people, a lot of people are facing homelessness... there's people that rely on the help of others and these organisations and it's important that everybody chips in to help."

Ms McCabe said she would be motivated by the support provided to her by her family - including her partner Jane, who she will marry within a month of returning - and the school.

They have encouraged her and made generous donations to the cause.

Students dressed like adventurers on Thursday.

"My two boys [Cooper, 16 and Mackenzie, 13] are really proud and pretty stunned as well, 'How will you have no shower for that long?' and things like that, but I just want to show them a good example as well that you should be thinking of other people and helping others."

Ms McCabe said the trekkers will carry a day bag with drinking water and snacks, while a support crew will bring tents and large bags to each camp site, as well as wood for fires and gas to cook.

Baby wipes will be the closest trekkers get to a shower.

"You come home with a fresh outlook on how lucky you are, really," she said.

"I'm looking forward to the sense of achievement, having completed something so physically and mentally challenging, just getting out of your comfort zone and the landscape - I love being out in nature."

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